


One Half-Second Longer

by evr



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: M/M, This is a lets-change-one-thing-and-see-what-happens au, everyone will be in it eventually
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-04
Updated: 2019-07-04
Packaged: 2020-06-07 18:23:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19474774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evr/pseuds/evr
Summary: Years ago, two human boys were orphaned. The Seraphim of Elysia adopted both of them, with a purpose in mind.





	One Half-Second Longer

**Author's Note:**

> Hi here's a redundant Human Mikleo AU how are you guys doing
> 
> Sorry he's a negative nancy

Sorey had good ideas sometimes; that fact was harder to remember while Mikleo held on for his life, gripping the roughest length of rope he's ever had in his hands. He'd really need to talk to Gramps about how careless it had been to send that storm into the ruins while they were exploring. Neither of them could use any sort of seraphim magic that would help in that sort of situation, and he could have killed them if Mikleo had been any slower to react. Then again, seraphim were usually pretty smart about that sort of thing. Maybe he knew it would be okay. Somehow, eventually.

"How far is the drop?" He asked once he reached the end of the rope. He'd already dropped his staff, and his hands started to burn. He'd decided to avoid chastising his friend for being ill-prepared, just for the time, but he started mentally preparing his lecture already. It'd begin with a strong _Sorey, you're an idiot_.

"Uh, you might not like the answer," Sorey laughed awkwardly and climbed down Mikleo's body, letting go when his grip slipped down to his shins. On the plus side, it didn't take _too_ long to hear him hit ground. "Okay, go ahead and drop! I'll catch you!"

Mikleo glanced down once and sighed before letting go of the rope. Sorey managed to catch him, one arm under his knees and the other around his shoulders, but he stumbled backwards almost immediately into a shallow pool, getting them both wet. He landed in Sorey's lap, and Sorey took too long to let go of him. In that situation, it was almost hard to complain. Almost. "This is why you should be careful!"

"H-hey, you fell first!" Sorey laughed, releasing him and leaning back while he waited for his friend to stand. Mikleo did so without missing a beat, not wanting to make things feel awkward (though he knew that he was the one who would feel awkward. Sorey wouldn't even _get_ it). "Whoa. You picked a good place to fall! Look at all this!"

He was right. After quickly surveying the room, he could tell it was rich in history and intrigue, even plants overtaking the edges only highlighted just how interesting the sculpted walls were. Still, Mikleo glared at him while he offered a hand to help him to his feet, "And now we've got no more grapnels or rope, so we can't properly explore it. Good job wasting yours." Sorey took his hand and stood upright, laughing in his usual slightly-embarrassed way and holding on for half a second too long (because he _always_ did that). Mikleo's face reddened and he turned away to retrieve his staff from the stone floor, " _Anyway_. We can explore here another time. We should get back and find out why Gramps did that. It might be an emergency."

"What, that we'll be late for dinner? It'll be fine, you packed rations, right?"

He eyed Sorey wearily, "...Are you saying you didn't?"

Of course, Sorey brushed it off while Mikleo grabbed his staff from where it had fallen and began grouchily followed behind him. He wanted to admit that he was just as excited to explore, that his time in the ruins with Sorey were the times he was happiest, but he couldn't bring himself to, stubbornness in the way. After all, he was only human. He wasn't without faults.

"Who would've thought we'd find a whole new section of ruins here?!" Sorey's glee made him smile along with his friend, "Think we'll find any treasures?"

"I'm still more interested in a way out right now."

Sorey swiped at some cobwebs with his sword (a gross misuse of the treasure) and found old storage boxes. He was brimming with enthusiasm when he glanced back at Mikleo, "C'mon, we both know you're excited to look too." The first one he popped open had old clothes in it, mostly moth-eaten and useless. He grimaced and Mikleo laughed at him.

It was rather tempting, though. In the corner of his eye he spotted another old box. It sprang open when he kicked it with his heel, hinges creaking from age. It was… _mostly_ empty. One particular item caught his eye and he snatched it up, pocketing it.

"Hey, you found something?"

"Yeah. I'll let you see once we're out of here."

"Mikleo…" He whined, but Mikleo didn't reply and started walking away instead, with Sorey chasing after him. "Mikleo! Let me see!"

Mikleo yelped when Sorey grabbed him by his sides and tickled him, forcing him back against his friend's chest as he struggled against his grip, laughter trapped in his lungs. He jabbed Sorey in the stomach with an elbow, probably not hard enough. He'd never admit he enjoyed that sort of thing. "S-Sorey, cut it…!"

When Sorey suddenly stilled, he looked up at him questioningly, but didn't move away from him just yet - just a half second too long had to pass before he straightened and stepped away from his friend.

"Over there. Is that…?"

He followed Sorey's gaze across an enormous gap in the floor to a section of the ruins they'd already explored up and down. It would be a simple way out if they could somehow bridge that gap, but Sorey's attention was elsewhere. "...A girl?"

"She's a human." Sorey said in a soft voice, full of wonder. Mikleo almost scowled.

"Is she alive?"

"I think she's breathing," he pointed at her as if Mikleo hadn't been staring at the same unconscious human as he was, but when he focused he could tell there was a faint rise and fall in - was that _armor?_ "We need to help her."

"We don't _need_ to do anything, Sorey. If she's here, Gramps is why she's unconscious. Don't you think he has a reason? I mean, she has a weapon! See?"

"Even so, we can't just leave her here! She's in trouble!" Sorey looked so concerned, Mikleo knew he wouldn't win.

"Ugh, fine. I'll help." The gap couldn't just be jumped over, and without another grappling hook they wouldn't be able to do anything about getting across the straightforward way.

Sorey smiled, grateful, and glanced around, "Let's look for a way across."

"Lead the way, then." Somehow, he wondered if she really was in trouble or if Sorey just wanted to play Knight In Shining Armor. They'd both been raised on tales of heroes and villains, damsels in distress and knights. With lives as peaceful as theirs had been, Mikleo doubted that sort of thing would ever happen to them. Things were never as simple as they were in fairy tales, though. This girl was armed to the teeth, and if she really needed rescuing he'd be surprised. It'd be more likely that they'd find out she was after something, possibly after the seraphim. It certainly cleared up why Gramps attacked the ruins and put them in danger, in any case.

While he sorted through that, Sorey found a path to a higher level. Again, it was a great time to have a grappling hook, but Sorey used his already, getting to the outer wall of the ruins (instead of waiting for Mikleo to finish setting up a ladder for the two of them to keep using in the future), and Mikleo's was gone after he had to save their lives with it. He wasn't the one who wanted to save the girl, but he was frustrated by it nonetheless.

"Think we could jump it?"

"Oh, sure. Need a push?" Mikleo's voice was dripping with sarcasm and Sorey frowned at him.

"It's a really long drop. I can't see the bottom at all."

"You say that like we weren't scaling a cliff a few minutes ago." The floor crumbled near his friend's feet. Mikleo's heart stopped and he started forward just as Sorey jumped back a few steps and suddenly they were way too close, but Sorey never had any concept of personal space so Mikleo tried not to let it bother him. "...Sorey, we only get one life to throw into a pit, so you could stand to be a bit more careful."

"We're fine, we're fine. Let's keep going." The dismissive laughter in Sorey's voice annoyed him as usual, but not enough to comment on it. He only sighed.

Root systems had invaded the ceiling of the ruins over the years. It wasn't the first time he'd observed this fact, but one thing he was sure they'd never encountered before was the amount of cobwebs on that side. It hardly seemed like he needed to bother being concerned, though.

They knew that the ruins had a traditional and spiritual purpose, not because any of the Elysians had given them the information (they were actually quite stingy, in that regard, making them figure everything out for themselves, but maybe that was just a seraphim thing and not something they were meant to take personally. Either way it was irritating). A lot of the carvings tangled in roots offered more definitive proof of their conclusions. He was sure that a few hours later, they'd probably be rushing to Gramps to ask him dozens of questions that he wouldn't answer outright; he'd always guide them to the right answer, but made them find it themselves.

While they wandered around the pit looking for ways to cross it, Sorey stopped and looked thoughtful. "What is it?"

"Do you see that?"

"See what?"

"Oh-ho! Do I win again today?" Sorey grinned at him, "Well, let me just explain--"

"Don't bother. We don't have time for games." Mikleo turned around and crosses his arms. Sorey laughed and called him a sore loser, grabbing his arm and tugging him along before Mikleo could deny it - he was _not_ a sore loser, for the record, Sorey just rubbed every win (few and far between) in his face and it was annoying.

Sorey walked right up to the ledge, then _over_ it, and Mikleo yelped and tried to pull him back but Sorey wrenched free and kept walking.

 _Walking_.

"What the…" Mikleo said with wonder, kneeling and touching the edge of the platform - there it was, a solid, invisible bridge beneath his hand. "This is amazing!"

Sorey stomped his feet a few times as if to prove it was strong enough to hold his weight (ignoring that he'd already been proving it just by walking on it), "Isn't it?! How do you think they built it?"

"I have no idea," Mikleo answered, "It'd have to be seraphim who made this bridge, don't you think?"

"Do you think Gramps will tell us anything about it?"

"Who knows… Seraphic powers are really incredible. I wish we knew how it worked." He would have been content to explore the details of the bridge more, but Sorey walked the rest of the way across it to the girl, and Mikleo scrambled to keep up. On the other side, he grabbed the girl's spear before she could wake up because he wasn't going to let his guard down, whether she was a helpless girl or a warrior or whatever else she might be. "Are you really sure about this, Sorey?"

Sorey hummed an affirmation and knelt beside the girl, nudging her shoulder to wake her. "Hey, are you okay?"

The girl grunted and moaned before sitting upright, groggy. She rubbed her eyes and gasped, scooting away from them as soon as she saw them.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" Mikleo spoke up, fishing in his pack for a gel.

"No." She spoke in a commanding tone, but he could tell she was dehydrated. "I would appreciate my weapon back."

Sorey glanced up at him and then back to her, "Sorry. He's paranoid, so you'll have to tell us what you're doing here first."

"I'm not paranoid!" Mikleo argued and instead grabbed his waterskin, passing it to Sorey to give to her (because maybe he was a _little_ worried about approaching her).

She hesitated to accept it, but need won over caution and she drank down a few gulps, her expression brightening at the taste. She didn't answer for a few more seconds though, "I was lost in the forest."

It was a fair enough explanation. Mikleo looked upwards at the ceiling and found that the invading root systems had loosened and the earth started to fall apart in a small space. There wasn't any daylight leaking through, so he had to guess that she'd tumbled a bit of a ways down, as they had, and if nothing else he was actually impressed she came out of it without any major injuries. It didn't explain why she was in the forest in the first place, though.

"See, Mikleo? She's just lost!"

"I don't 'see' anything." He grumbled back, looking at the girl again, "You're wearing armor."

"I-I'm a knight." Her eyes were wide, "I was… I was merely scouting in this direction, and saw something suspicious in the woods."

"Suspicious?"

"I don't have to report to you." She defended herself with a frown.

"Well, miss Knight, don't we have a right to know about something suspicious approaching our home? Right now, the only thing suspicious is you." He shrugged, and Sorey ran a hand through his hair while he laughed awkwardly.

"Hey, c'mon. She's lost, so we should help her out, right?"

"No," Mikleo answered immediately.

Sorey ignored him and helped her to her feet. He watched, burning in his chest and bile in his throat, as Sorey held her hand a half a second too long, "There we go. My name is Sorey, and this is Mikleo. You are…?"

She looked away, at the ceiling and at the ruins around her, "Where is this place?"

" _You are?_ " Mikleo repeated, making clear that he wouldn't tolerate another dodge. She flinched and made him feel like a bully.

"Forgive me… I can't tell you."

Sorey gave him a look that filled him with guilt. It wasn't fair at all; he was just trying to make sure they'd all be safe. "Not a big deal. Let's get you out of here."

"Sorey. Is there somewhere I'll be able to resupply and rest, once we're out of the forest?"

"We're from the village nearby, Elysia. Um, we don't really have an inn or a shop though. Mikleo, let's just let her stay with us."

"Sorey, what is _wrong_ with you?" He was still holding her spear or he would've crossed his arms, "She can't even give us her name!"

"But she's in trouble!" Sorey argued, "And she doesn't seem like a bad person, does she?"

Mikleo couldn't answer that, because he had to admit that no, she didn't seem that bad. But just making a good impression didn't mean much, and it bothered him that Sorey just didn't get that.

"Excuse me, um, Mikleo, was it?" She stood in a strange way for a knight; her posture was straight but not like someone in military service. Too delicate - then again, it could be because her weapon was taken away. "I would greatly appreciate the help! And I might add that if I am to come with you, you might better be able to keep an eye on me. I understand if you won't return my spear just yet."

Sorey brightened again and turned to him while she bowed formally. "See? It'll be fine."

Mikleo huffed and began walking toward the exit. He hated being made out to be the bad guy.

"It'll be fine," He heard Sorey repeat, "He's just being stubborn."

It stung.

  


Outside, she started staring at him. He continued on at Sorey's side, self-consciously brushing his bangs over his face with his fingers and closing his shirt over his neck. It was the kind of thing that usually never bothered him, he never had to think about because nobody else cared about it and he wasn't going to be the one to draw attention to it. Eventually, Sorey noticed his anxiety and took his hand to try and reassure him. It worked. Of course it worked. Even so, he felt her staring more pointedly after that.

"The forest is so different here." The girl spoke up, "It couldn't possibly be the same as that maze I was lost in."

Mikleo and Sorey exchanged glances in amusement. It was surprising that the stranger had even made it as far as she had through the tangled web of their guardian's domain; the forest changed shape often, even the two of them wouldn't be able to get through it without him mapping a passage for them.

"Our home is just up ahead. Elysia," Sorey turned his head to her while they walked on. She spoke a few words to herself out loud, but out of earshot.

"Gramps will be mad." Mikleo pointed out. Sorey laughed in his usual embarrassed way, but led her through the gates all the same and brightened up with an idea.

"Hey, let me introduce everyone!" He gestured at the seraphim to come see the newcomer. Mason was the first to walk up and inspect her, then he shook his head.

Mikleo watched the girl's reaction and smacked the back of Sorey's head gently, more to draw his attention than anything else. "Quit messing around. Nobody's here."

"Oh…" Sorey's smile faded and he whispered, "She really can't see them?"

"Guess it's true, what we were told." The girl tilted her head, confused by their secrecy, and Mikleo sighed, "Get her situated. I'll try to explain this to Gramps."

  


"It's the first time we've met any other humans," Mikleo admitted, "And he just wanted to help her."

"I expect it from him," Gramps lowered his pipe and frowned at him, "But you. This is unlike you."

Mikleo bowed his head and clenched his hands tightly. "I know. I apologize."

Gramps let out a hoarse chuckle before he puffed on his pipe again, "You must be excited too, right? Just make sure she doesn't stay long."

He nodded and didn't say anything else on the matter, just excused himself and left her spear at the door on his way out, for safekeeping. He didn't want the girl around at all. Without her presence, Sorey would have spent hours more in the ruins with him, and he would have been far happier doing that than having to keep watch over some knight who'd infiltrated their home. He knew he'd get back and find out Sorey had given up their bed for her, too. Being nice was fine, but that was too much.

Maybe that wasn't fair; she was a stranger here, and as far as she knew she was at the mercy of two strange men. Even if he didn't want to think of himself as a bad person, in her eyes he probably was. He couldn't be like Sorey, and trust unconditionally. He couldn't smile like Sorey could and make anyone's heart skip a beat.

One deep breath before entering the house, and it did nothing to quell his annoyance with his best friend. Sorey and the girl were sitting on the floor chattering about the Celestial Record, getting on well. Sorey saw him come in and jumped up, grabbing his hand excitedly. "Mikleo, guess what? She's from Ladylake! Isn't that awesome?"

He glanced from Sorey's gleeful expression to her curious one, "It's not that surprising. It's the nearest city around here, isn't it?"

"I thought Camlann would be here…" He barely caught her say that over Sorey excitedly dragging him to where they were seated on the floor around his books. A half-second after they sat down, Sorey let go of his hand.

"Is the sword there? From the legends?!"

"Yes, of course. The festival will be held soon, as well."

"Whoa. So there might be a new Shepherd soon!" Sorey nudged Mikleo's shoulder and he couldn't help but smile, just a bit. He didn't want to get swept up in this.

The girl covered her mouth to hide a laugh. Not very knightly, but Mikleo wasn't going to point that out. "You really love that book, don't you? Everyone at home makes fun of me for believing in those legends. The Shepherd, and seraphim."

"They aren't just legends," Mikleo corrected her sharply. She flinched. "There's plenty of evidence to prove that the Shepherd and seraphim are real. People shouldn't deny history like that."

Her face flushed and she stared at her lap. "I. I see. Thank you, Mikleo." Why she was thanking him was a mystery to him, but he didn't want to push the matter. He shrugged, and stood.

"I'll make dinner. Is there anything you want, Sorey?" At the time it didn't seem like it would matter to be polite and ask the guest what she'd want. More importantly, she wasn't _his_ guest, so he didn't particularly care.

"Anything you make is great!" Sorey cheered, and Mikleo had to smile at him a little.

"Boar testicles it is."

"Gross!" They laughed and the guest looked scandalized before she realized it was a joke.

He didn't linger, but smiled once more at Sorey before he left to gather meat from the food stores that the seraph Kyme kept for them. That house was always cold, freezing, because the water seraph liked the cold and that made him the ideal person to preserve food for them. Sorey ate a lot, and he didn't know how much the girl would eat, so he picked out a few large cuts and figured they could have a small feast for the three of them. Not that he cared if she even ate any of it. She'd probably assume he was trying to poison her or something, he was sure.

Well, whatever. He ignored most of their chattering while he hooked the meat above the fire, then got to work chopping up some vegetables to go with it. He still wasn't sure what to make, but settled on curry about halfway through. He caught Sorey drooling when the sauce was ready. That was always the entire reason he enjoyed cooking for him.

If only he could just ignore the girl's presence entirely, that would be great.

Sorey would always complain he'd overcooked the meat unless he took it off the fire before he thought it was ready, so he paid closer attention to the food than their conversation, suddenly about what it was like for he and Sorey to live alone in Elysia, and Sorey was struggling to answer without lying. "They died." Mikleo said, a rough edge to his voice that hopefully would deter her from being a pest and asking too much. "We've managed fine since then."

She stared, again, sharper this time, at the scars on his face. He glowered until she turned away. "Is that… Did something bad happen here?"

Sorey clearly expected him to answer again. He frowned, "You tell us your name, I'll tell you our story." He wiped a knife blade clean while he said it, preparing to chop up some of the meat to let it finish cooking in the sauce. It may have seemed threatening, but it got his point across either way. He watched her clench her jaw shut with some satisfaction.

There was a lull, and Sorey looked back and forth between them with a disappointed expression. Nothing could be done about that.

"I have to say," She admitted, staring at her lap, "Your distrust of me has made the two of you seem all the more trustworthy." He turned back to her. She looked up at him and nodded, "Alisha. My name is Alisha. My first name should suffice, since that's all I have of yours."

He placed the knife on the cutting board and brushed his hair back (only on the scar-free side of his face). "I didn't think you'd actually tell us. There was a fire, but that was when we were too little to remember. That's all we really know."

Sorey seemed more relieved than he thought he'd be, a soft smile on his face. It was a subtle way of saying _I told you so_ , but Mikleo shrugged it off. "You're overcooking the meat again."

"Tsk." He turned back to the food and gave it all of his focus while Sorey changed the topic to more trivial things about the world below. She hadn't acted satisfied with Mikleo's answers, but nobody could hold up against Sorey's friendly banter once he got going.

Alisha the knight. She remained a courteous guest and complimented the meal, and Sorey gave her their bed just as he'd expected. It was entirely too much. He planned to spend the night outside instead, and let Sorey keep her company on his own.

  


The stars over Elysia would always be burned into his memory. He didn't even really mind sleeping outside because of them, even if the mountain air carried a chill that made it hard to stay asleep.

Sorey knew that, and that was probably why he brought out a blanket for him a while later. It was one of the enormous ones they used to build forts under when they were especially small and not allowed in the ruins yet, so they both fit comfortably bundled in it. They didn't share a word until well after they'd settled, body heat gathered under the fabric and keeping them nice and warm. "Sorry. I know she's made you uncomfortable."

"It's fine," Mikleo admitted quietly, his shoulder against Sorey's. He wanted to be closer than that, "I know you're doing what feels right. It's not like I'd hold it against you."

Sorey sighed and rolled onto his side, closer, as if he'd read Mikleo's mind. It wasn't really like that though, he knew. Sorey was just a physical kind of person, and it wasn't right to read affection into it when there wasn't any. "You probably should though. I didn't really listen to you at all today."

"Make it up to me, then."

"How?"

Mikleo grinned at him, "All my chores for a month."

"Oh," Sorey laughed, "I was expecting a whole year."

"That's better. Let's go with that." Sorey grabbed his sides and tickled him, and for a few seconds he squirmed and laughed until he felt something against his hip, "Ah, hold up," he pulled the beaded glove from his pocket and inspected it for any damage, then held it for Sorey to see, "I totally forgot about this. It's what I found in the ruins earlier."

"That crest--!"

"Yeah," Mikleo smiled at him, "Do you want it?"

"For real?" Sorey was glowing when he took the glove from Mikleo and pulled it over his hand, "It's in such great condition! Thanks, Mikleo!"

Sorey hugged him then, bone-crushingly tight as his grateful hugs often were. Used to it, Mikleo just laughed again and patted his back, "Alright, alright, let go!"

A half-second later, Sorey did. Mostly. "Really. Thank you."

"It suits you more, anyway." Mikleo adjusted the blanket after it had been untidied by their roughhousing, "I wouldn't bother trying to keep it from you." He'd known from the start that the glove belonged on Sorey's hand, not his. His hands were probably too small anyway, and it would just have annoyed him to find that out by trying it on.

"You're the best, you know."

Mikleo jabbed him in the stomach, petty revenge for being tickled a moment ago, "Yeah, I know. Goodnight, Sorey."

One arm stayed behind Mikleo as they slept side-by-side that night. He wondered, as Sorey drifted off to sleep, if he could get away with more if he tried. He wasn't brave enough, though.

He memorized the mild irritant that was Sorey's quiet snoring (it was different when he wasn't on a bed, slightly more nasal and harder to ignore), and he gave up and closed his eyes.

  


Sorey spent the day with Alisha, and Mikleo was dragged off by Mason early on. He would have liked to keep an eye on her, but he wound up giving her weapon back for hunting just in time to be told he had a different assignment for the day. He couldn't argue with Gramps, so he didn't. He doubted it would take all day.

 _Investigate the girl_ , they'd said. Mason was excited to do it, prattling on while they trekked through the forest. Mikleo, though, kept worrying about Sorey instead. He hoped that the leftovers were enough rations for the both of them (because if it wasn't enough, Sorey would give up his share for Alisha and Mikleo would just worry more). Never mind that he'd skipped out on anything for himself. His stomach growled in protest but he pretended not to notice.

"Where do you think she fell?" Mason asked, scanning the area enthusiastically.

"Gramps probably waited until she reached a clearing. The forest isn't burned down, after all," He shrugged, walking in the direction that lined up with the layout of the ruins underneath. He'd mapped it out and memorized it by now anyway. "Around there, maybe?" He pointed at a small space between trees, and Mason nodded and followed him.

Sure enough, there was scorched earth where Mikleo had indicated, and a twisted hole in the ground. "Whoa, good call!"

Mikleo crossed his arms and huffed, "It looks like most of her belongings are burned, though. I doubt we'll find much." As he spoke, he pulled a travel pack free from a winding system of roots surrounding the gap. One of the singed straps tore, but the pack held together mostly. Inside, he only found some spoiled or burnt food, a smelly blanket, and a canteen. None of it seemed like it was in good enough condition to justify saving it for her. The blanket was wrapped around something though, he noted. A knife, with familiar symbols inscribed on it. Familiar but not immediately identifiable. He shook his head, "I don't think this belongs to a knight."

Mason leaned over his shoulder to take a look, "Know what any of that means?"

"I think so. But I need to double-check. I don't want to jump to conclusions about her."

"That's pretty smart." Mason agreed, "Do any of your books have listings of Ladylake families though?"

He pursed his lips and looked up at the seraph, "...You know, if you know something I don't, feel free to tell me. You weren't around when she said where she was from."

"Oops," Mason chuckled, "But that's really all I know. Taccio recognized a symbol she was wearing."

Mikleo sighed, tossing the old blanket back into the ruined travel bag and wrapping the knife in scrap leather to store it in his own pack. Seraphim could be so frustrating at times. "Well, it's all we've got to go on. I don't see anything else here, do you?"

"Nope. It's about time I asked you something, though."

He didn't respond verbally as he stood, but tilted his head curiously.

"Wanna become a shepherd?" The nonchalance in his voice startled Mikleo more than his words. "A few of us would come with you, and you could take up the mantle. Any thoughts?"

It took him too long to realize Mason wasn't messing with him. Both of them impatiently changed their stance and he gazed at the ground. The shepherd was a lofty title indeed, something he and Sorey had chased after the rumors of since they were old enough to read. He had to admit though, Sorey always had more fervor in the pursuit of the legends. But if Mason was offering right now... "Is it really that simple? What about the stories of the Sacred Blade?"

"Hmm, no, that's one way to go about it but there are others. I mean, you and Sorey are already pretty special since you can see us," Mason explained, hands on his hips, "And there are some things on our end to take care of, too, but that's pretty much settled."

"I see…" He didn't look up, he just chewed on his lip while he thought about it. "What about Sorey, then? Would he come, too?"

"Eventually, we'll ask him. Not yet. Do you really think he's ready for that? It's not exactly the kind of thing we'd want him to take lightly. That's why you get asked first."

"...Fair point," Mikleo sighed again, "But I don't want to go anywhere without him. I mean, he's… my best friend." He's important, he's special, Mikleo would lose his mind without Sorey at his side - he wanted so badly to just say things like that honestly. Part of him wanted to accept impulsively, because Sorey would be happy just _knowing_ the shepherd, and… and maybe it could be easier to win him over? No, that was foolish, he cursed the thought for even entering his mind. "And you're right, I could never make that sort of decision so lightly."

Mason nodded, then turned and started walking back, "Well, give it some thought. Let me or Kyme know, okay?"

He messed with his bangs again, still trying to sort out what he'd been asked. Mason had acted like it wasn't a big deal, like all that was required was the resonance to see seraphim. There had to be more to the shepherd than that, or else surely there'd be one already, out saving the world. He knew the seraphim were never forthcoming with information like this, but he asked anyway. "Why me?"

"You're level-headed. Sorey's a good candidate too, don't get me wrong, but for different reasons."

"Then, could we go together?" He asked, hopeful. If they were going to ask Sorey eventually, he didn't see the point in waiting. They could all go, and he and Sorey could see the world like they'd always wanted. There wasn't a point unless they saw it together.

"The agreed-on age is eighteen. So we'll be asking him on his birthday, if he's ready. It's up to Gramps, you know."

Something about all this struck him in an odd way, and he scowled as he kept in step with Mason. "So how long have you all been planning this for us?"

"Oops again."

"Mason!"

"I'm not supposed to talk about it!" He laughed, "Look, everything else is just background noise. You two got invested in the stories on your own, right? We just encouraged you and helped you train and prepare, is all."

Mikleo decided he didn't like this. He didn't know what the seraphim would gain by raising a shepherd, they seemed settled in Elysia, but if there was some ulterior motive to it, he didn't like it. It sounded like there was. He didn't want to buy into that line of thought, because the Elysians were his family. "We trust you."

Mason looked a little hurt, "We wouldn't betray your trust," He promised, giving Mikleo a pat on the shoulder.

Mikleo only nodded at that, and handed him the ruined bag, "Go ahead and get rid of this if you want. We shouldn't let her find it or she'll know I took the knife."

"You really have trust issues though, don't you?" Mason laughed, the bag burning to cinders in his hand. "I know we raised you two together, how did you turn into opposites?"

Mikleo froze where he stood, staring oddly. He'd never thought of himself and Sorey as opposites. The words seeped into him like poison, though he knew Mason hadn't meant anything bad by it.

  


He didn't make it back home until late. Sorey had saved him some dinner, and he ate outside instead of seeing Alisha again. Apparently she was already asleep. And she'd told Sorey some haunting things about the state of the world before bed, which he knew would keep Sorey up as well. He recounted the tale while leaning on Mikleo's shoulder.

Famine and plagues and corruption, it sounded like what the seraphim had explained of malevolence. If that was truly the state of the world, there was a need for the shepherd. His refusal to take the title earlier sat on his tongue bitterly, and he wondered if he'd even be able to make a difference anyway. Sorey, maybe. Sorey would.

He liked to imagine that Sorey would have said the same of him if asked. He wondered if Sorey ever doubted himself like Mikleo did.

When the sun rose, neither of them had slept. They huddled together under a blanket fighting off the night's chill while daylight broke around them, like an enchantment that dared him to break it. "Sorey, there's something I want to tell you."

Sorey deserved to know that one of them could be the shepherd. They ought to be able to talk together about it, openly and frankly, and decide what would be best. He, at least, had the faith in his friend that the Elysians seemed to lack so far. As if a year made so much difference. When those bright green eyes turned to him, catching the sunlight, he paused.

"Oh, there you are!" Alisha's voice shattered the spell and she covered her mouth. "Oh… Um, am I interrupting something?"

"...It's fine. I can tell you later, Sorey." He said, standing and gathering up the blanket and folding it - though it was large and difficult to do alone, and Sorey didn't stand fast enough to help him. "Did you all get the leather tanned yesterday?"

"Yes. Sorey showed me what to do with it." She nodded and stepped forward to assist him, a bright smile on her face. She was apparently in a much better mood. "He said you're better with actually crafting things, though. Is that true?"

He looked down at his friend, who was laughing sheepishly. "Probably not. He just wants you and I to get along."

She laughed, too. He had to admit, it was more pleasant to be laughed at than stared at, in this situation.

"...We may as well get started." He tossed the blanket in Sorey's lap, crossed his arms and sighed, getting his frustration quietly out of his system before setting to work. It wasn't anything backbreaking, but it wasn't easy having to pause and explain his methods every few minutes. Sorey busied himself making breakfast for them. Alisha would be gone by early afternoon. They chose to work outside in the daylight, since there was more space.

He lined some of the leather with a soft blanket to make a bedroll and he added straps to make it easier to carry, then started on a travel bag while she ate with Sorey and traded more stories. They got along well. He tried not to feel jealous, knowing how stupid it would be to get worked up over something like this. Even if Sorey fell for the girl he'd never leave Mikleo behind. He wouldn't let himself be that pathetic.

"You two should come to the Sacred Blade festival," Alisha mused, picking at the food on the plate in her lap, "Especially if you've never been to Ladylake."

Sorey allowed his excitement to get the better of him, pulling out the Celestial Record and opening it to the pages dedicated to the festival and the sword. "Mikleo, think we can?"

"Why, though?" he addressed Alisha directly, "Wouldn't we find out who you really are, though you've been trying to avoid it?"

"Alisha Diphda. So there, it doesn't matter now," She smiled at him and he swallowed hard, unsettled. "I trust you both. You've been kind, in a way. I almost wish I could stay longer and get to know you better."

He and Sorey looked at each other, then back at her. That slack-jawed expression Sorey wore bothered him in ways he couldn't begin to describe because he couldn't identify the cause of it - and _that_ bothered him because they'd never been in a situation in which Mikleo couldn't properly read his friend's face. It was a mess, a terribly frustrating mess that this girl had forced on them.

Diphda, though, that answered some of his questions about the dagger. He knew it was an important name, possibly connected to royalty, but he'd need to refresh his memory on it before telling Sorey and letting him get carried away again. "I'm going to get something to help mask this smell." He said, standing. The projects were done, he'd just tie up pouches of herbs and flowers to dampen the smell of fresh leather. At least it wasn't too strong. He was also going to go find that book where he knew he'd read that name before.

He managed to skim through the pages for what he was looking for quickly enough, finding a passage that mentioned the name 'Diphda' as a branch of royalty. He wasn't sure if that made her more or less trustworthy, though. For that matter, the books weren't up-to-date, they were merely what survived after the fire, all at least seventeen years old. So he set it aside and collected some of the dried plants into a thin cloth packet, trying to ignore his own suspicions. Gramps hid Elysia well enough, he didn't have to go far out of his way to protect it in the Seraphim's place. And she was leaving anyway.

But he couldn't silence his thoughts, after all; she was descended from royalty and also a knight, and somehow she'd ended up in the ruins. No matter how he looked at it, she was odd.

No, no, ignore it. He frowned and started to pull the door back open, catching a fragment of their conversation.

"When I imagine the Shepherd, I imagine someone an awful lot like you."

Sorey didn't respond, at least not in time for Mikleo to have quietly closed the door again. He knew better than to get involved with this. Rubbing his eyes tiredly, he sighed. It had sounded like a damn pick-up line, never mind everything else about it that bothered him. Could he even manage to resent this girl any more? He doubted it.

  


His doubts didn't really matter in the end. She brought a hellion into the forest.

Rather, she didn't bring it there, but it had followed her, sweeping through the forest and into the Elysians' domain. It was hard to fault her for the attack, since she was indeed a victim, but Mikleo found his first feeling on the matter to be resentment toward her. Mason died. He wanted to blame her.

She couldn't have known, though. She was being followed by a monster that threatened to kill her, and was willing to take lives along the way to get to her, and it fled into the forest to pursue her.

Mikleo's chest felt tight. They'd bid her goodbye already, so it wasn't as though they could warn or protect her, as he knew Sorey would want to do. Whether he liked her or not, he didn't want her _dead_ , he couldn't let this go any more than Sorey could. And yet, more importantly, they were needed here by their family. They hadn't needed to cope with loss before, especially not like this.

It was a somber evening after an eventful set of days, nobody seemed to want to talk much. With Mason gone, Mikleo wondered what would be happening with that whole 'becoming the Shepherd' business, but he couldn't bring himself to care much for that now. Alisha was right, anyway. Sorey was more Shepherd-like, even if he was childish sometimes. He was kinder, sweeter than Mikleo could ever be. It wasn't as though Mikleo completely lacked compassion, but he knew that he would hesitate to save anyone, while Sorey would dive headfirst into anything if he thought someone needed help.

Maybe Mason was right. Maybe they were opposites.

The night sky was cloudy, and he didn't want to sleep inside whether he could see the stars or not. Sorey had quietly retreated indoors, so maybe he was already sleeping. Maybe he was calmer about Mason's death than Mikleo was. They usually made time to talk about the things that bothered them. Mikleo had a few things to catch up on, after Alisha's departure, but it didn't seem like the right time.

He sighed, leaning heavily against the stone of their home and wrapping the blanket around his shoulders. Maybe they could get a message to her. Wind seraphim lived with them, they could certainly carry a message and warn her that someone was after her. Would that be good enough, though? She was a knight, so hopefully she could defend herself.

"Mikleo?" Sorey had peered at him from a crack in the door, looking hesitant.

"Yes?"

"Come inside?"

Ah, he was lonely. Understandable, after the day they'd just had. He stood, dusting himself off and gathering the blanket he'd been using over one arm. Sorey held the door and stood there a little awkwardly, like he had something on his mind. He definitely did, but usually he would've blurted it out dumbly at the first chance he'd gotten.

Mikleo sat on the half-undone bed, waiting. He offered a weak, tired smile, wishing he could give Sorey anything else.

"Let's leave."

For a moment, they stared at each other, as though unsure which one of them had said it. Mikleo had. He knew it was what Sorey wanted to say.

Sorey looked almost relieved, dropping onto the bed beside him and hugging him tight. "Let's go tonight," he said. "Can we?"

"Yeah."

Mikleo held him back, just for a moment, before releasing him to go pack. The first thing he did was hand the Shepherd's glove over to his friend, rather than let him leave it on their shelf full of interesting finds from the ruins.

In the end, he knew he was running away, but not Sorey - he was running toward something. Mikleo wanted to see him reach it.


End file.
